Col. Gregg Russell is Commander, 301st Fighter Wing Mission Support Group, Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas. The 301 FW MSG is comprised of six squadrons and five civilian departments with more than 650 Reserve, Active Guard Reserve (AGR), and civilian personnel. The 301 FW MSG provides in-garrison and agile combat support through aerial port, bioenvironmental, base and expeditionary civil engineering, cyber operations, civilian personnel, contracting, force support, logistics, and security services.
Col. Russell enlisted in the Air Force in 1984 as an Airman Basic. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant after attending Officer Candidate School in 1998. He has served in numerous positions both as an enlisted Airman and as a commissioned officer. He has operated as a firefighter and rescue team member and was activated as a search and rescue officer for the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing. Col. Russell has spent the majority of his career in civil engineering and mission support, primarily operating in fire, crash-rescue, emergency management and Force Support. Additionally, he has years of Readiness and base contingency response experience and has served twice as a NAF staff officer.
Col. Russell has deployed several times to support contingency exercises, natural disasters and in support of both Operations SOUTHERN WATCH and ENDURING FREEDOM. Prior to his current position, the colonel was the Deputy Director for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Twenty-Second Air Force, Dobbins ARB, Ga.
EDUCATION
1995 Associate degree in Fire Science, CCAF, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1997 Bachelor of Science, Dallas Baptist University, Dallas, Texas
2001 International Junior Officer Leadership Development Course, Munich, GE
2005 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2010 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2010 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Leadership, Today and Tomorrow, Washington DC
2014 Dynamics of International Terrorism, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2015 Air War College, by correspondence
2017 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Ft. Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS 1. March 1984–Nov 1991, Active Duty Enlisted Crash/Rescue firefighter (64th, 43rd, 1930th & 81st CES)
2. November 1991–October 1993, Reserve Rescue Team Crew Chief, 403rd CES, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
3. October 1993–September 1995, Reserve Rescue Team, 301st CES, U.S. Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas
4. April 1995–May 1995, Search, Rescue and Recovery Team, Alfred P. Murrah Building Bombing, Oklahoma City, Okla.
5. October 1995–April 1998, Fire Protection Instructor, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
6. April 1998–May 1998, student, Officer Candidate School, McGhee-Tyson AFB, Tenn.
7. May 1998–June 1998, student, Civil Engineer Officer Readiness School, Fort McClellan, Ala.
8. June 1998–June 2000, Civil Engineer Officer, Readiness Flight OIC, 82nd CES, Sheppard AFB, Texas (January 1999–May 1999, Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, CE Readiness Officer, Eskan Village, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
10. June 2000–August 2007, Force Support Flight Commander, U.S. NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas
11. August 2007–October 2007, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, A1 forward, 376th AEW, Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan
12. November 2007–October 2010, Assistant Director and Inspection Team Member, 10th Air Force, U.S. NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas (October 2008–February 2009, OIC, U.S. Capitol Building, Military Support and Logistics Coordination Team, assigned with U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps personnel, Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, 2009 Presidential Inauguration, Washington D.C.)
13. October 2010–October 2012, Commander, 610th Force Support (S-Team attached to USAFE), U.S. NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas (March 2011–April 2011, J1/4 Forward, COPE TIGER Multilateral Exercises, 13th Air Expeditionary Wing, Korat AB, Thailand)
14. October 2012–November 2013, Chief, Quality Assurance, Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, Randolph AFB, Texas
15.. November 2013–June 2017, Deputy Commander, 507th Mission Support Group, Tinker AFB, Okla.
16. June 2017–January 2020, Deputy Director, Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, 22nd Air Force, Dobbins ARB, Ga.
17. January 2020–Present, Commander, 301 Mission Support Group, U.S. NAS JRB Fort Worth Texas
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one silver cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one silver cluster
Air Force Good Conduct Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Long
Air Force Longevity Service one silver cluster
Air Force Special Duty Ribbon
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with bronze hourglass and “M” device
USAF NCO PME Graduate Ribbon with one oak leaf cluster
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Rifle)
Air Force Training Ribbon with one oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Honor Graduate, Fire Protection/Crash-Rescue Apprentice Course
Distinguished Graduate, NCO Preparatory School
Top Graduate, Fire Protection Rescue Course
John Levitow Honor Graduate and Military Excellence Award recipient, NCO Leadership School Distinguished Graduate, Officer Candidate School
DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 7, 1998
First Lieutenant May 7, 2000
Captain September 12, 2002
Major September 12, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel August 10, 2012
Colonel July 7, 2017 (Current as of February 2020)